Spring-slat for bed-bottoms



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. FRENCH, OF EAST CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING-SLAT FOR BED-BOTTOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,443, dated December 12, 1865.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES M. FRENCH, of East Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and Improved Spring-Slats for Bed-Bottoms, and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forining part of this specitcation, in which- Figure l is a side view of one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View of another form of my invention. Fig. 3 is a similar view of still another form of my invention.

My invention consists in so constructing a slat for a bed-bottom that a joint shall be formed between the part that rests upon the side rails ofthe bedstead and the body of the slat, into which joint is placed a piece of rubber or any suitable spring which will give to the slat the desired springing motion when the same shall be depressed, as will be presently described.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

I propose several forms of applying and adapting my invention, as will be seen by reference to the drawings.

In Fig. l the slat A is made of the desired length to extend across the bedstead or lengthwise thereof, as the case may be, and on the under side of this slat, near cach end, there is secured an arm, a, which, when notdepressed, forms an angle with the slat. This arm a, however, is divided or made in two parts, and tben connected together by a hinge, b, a leaf of the hinge being secured respectively to the two parts of the arm, and a space is left between the two ends over the joint ofthe hinge, and in this space there is inserted a piece of rubber, fr, which will constitute a spring; or, instead of rubber, any suitable spring may be inserted to take its place--a spiral spring, for

instance-bearing against the ends ofthe two parts of the arm c.

In Fig. 2 the slat A is the same; butin lieu of using an ordinary hinge and making the arm a in two parts, I employ a hinge, B, of peculiar construction, one leaf being secured directly to the slat A and the other to an arm, c. The piece of rubber or spring in this case is placed between the shoulder d of the hinge and the end of the arm c, and effects the same object as in the previous instance.

To prevent the arms in these two examples ot' myinvention from being forced too far from the slat A, I use a band, g, secured to the end of the arm and the end ot' the slats.

In Fig. 8 I dispense with the arms and peculiar hinges and make the slat itselfin three parts, A ej', A being' the central part and ef the end pieces, and hinges b are used to connect these parts, one leaf' of the hinge being connected to the central part and the other to each end piece, respectively; and in this instance a space is left between the ends of the pieces A ej' that approach each other, and the rubber or spring is inserted in this space. And to keep the rubber in place I secure a strip of leather, h, on the top of the slat over the rubber or spring.

These several examples all operate on the same general principle, as can be readily understood. Any downward pressure on the slats A will give the desired springing motion to the slats, and consequently to the bed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Making ajoint at each end of a bed-slat or attaching arms, substantially as described, said joints being capable of receiving within them a piece of rubber or a spring, substantially as and for the purposes specilied.

-JAMES M. FRENCH.

Witnesses:

SAME. A. FRENCH, A. P. GRIFEING. 

